Every year I give up something for Lent. This year it will be gluten. Well, at least I am going to try to give up gluten for lent. I know something might slip up for simply not knowing it has gluten in it. We will see how this goes. My main food group is carbohydrates so we will see how much fun this is going to be.
I have always had stomach problems for as long as I can remember. I have always thought it was normal me. This was just how it was going to be. Then I started talking to a few friends who say they are gluten free. They talked about having the same problems as I do and how they all stopped once they took gluten out of their diets.
Now I am not saying this will work for me or for anyone else. That is for you and your doctor to decide. Since Lent is only for 40 days it has given me the opportunity to give it a try and see if it will make a difference.
If you are giving up something for Lent of have a great gluten free recipe please post in the comments below.
I am interested to hear how this works for you. I know it works for lots of people and maybe it will help your tummy feel better.
My mom recently discovered she has a gluten intolerance. I have been trying to send her recipes and give her tips.
I’ll be so curious to hear how you felt afterwards. Some people swear by a gluten-free diet even if they don’t need it (for medical reasons), and others do not. I love learning more about it through the experiences of people actually trying it out. Wishing you lots of good luck!
I don’t know about the recipes but I hope you feel better soon. Just stick to this new eating style and be positive.
Good luck giving up gluten. I was never too serious about giving it up as I don’t have any stomach issues. I tried giving it up to see if it helped with weight loss. For me, it’s calories in calories out, gluten or no gluten a calorie is a calorie. Hope it makes a difference for you. 🙂
Interesting idea to give up gluten for Lent. My wife gives up chocolate each year, which is tough enough. Good luck on your journey!
It was more because of the time frame of Lent. I knew I could give myself 40 days before giving it my whole life.
Sounds like it might work. There are a lot of gluten free products on the market.
If following a gluten free diet is beneficial to your overall health, I say go for it! I still haven’t decided what to give up for lent. Perhaps I’ll give up NOT exercising daily.
I don’t do lent (being Jewish and all) but I’ve been considering quitting gluten as well.. a lot of my friends are not eating gluten anymore and they seem to be having an easier time with digestion.
I am actually Lutheran who do not do Lent, but a lot of my family is Catholic. I do it mainly for the physical cleansing. I think it is good to give yourself breaks from things from time to time. Last year I gave up soda and the year before it was alcohol.
I have considered if I would be able to give up gluten. I don’t know if I could. I know I have a very strong sugar addiction and many of the foods are also full of gluten. I would probably try to give up something like Dr Pepper for Lent and work off one food addiction at a time.
My daughter has celiac and cannot eat gluten. It is surprising all the things that gluten can slip into! Good luck! 🙂
Good luck on your endeavor and I hope you have a nice Lent.
I am curious to see how it works for you. So many people have this problem and are never diagnosed.
Good luck with giving up Gluten for lent – it would be interesting to know how you find it if you decided to share?
I am thinking about doing a weekly post about each week being gluten free. That should also help me stay on track.
I haven’t decided what I will be giving up for Lent yet but I am thinking about it.
Girl you better hurry! Fat Tuesday is almost over!!! Haha
I’m not gluten-free; however, the city I live in is all abotu giving up gluten. Everything here is gluten free. It’s really crazy!
Wow that is crazy! Maybe I need to come see you from like now until Easter! HAHA
I wish you lots of luck. Hopefully nothing slips by you, but it can be hard when it’s gluten.
I am supposed to be gluten free and do my best but it is hard. There are at least a lot more options than when I first became gluten free. I am sure you can make 40 days – except for the not knowing if it has gluten in it. I do not have any recipes to share unfortunately but there are a lot of great blogs that do just do a search – good luck.
I am going to be very proactive but I am not going to beat myself up over it either. If something sneaks in then so be it. That is the best that I can do. I am so glad for all of you giving me extra confidence in doing this!
That would be a tough one for me, but if I had to do it, I suppose I could. Bravo for picking something that tests you!
I went GF last year after my severe injury, best thing I ever did! It’s not as hard as everyone thinks. Or it wasn’t for me, so you can do it!
I have half of the ladies i go to church with they are gluten free.
I don’t mind some of the recipes they share, there are a lot of gluten free products out there you should give as try.
good luck.
A lot of people have had great success eliminating gluten from their diets but it’s not necessary for everyone. Have you tried quinoa? That’s a great substitution for gluten free meals. It’s super easy to cook too.
I hope you find that giving up gluten helps your stomach issues! I think it would be a really hard thing for me to give up, so good luck!
munching on some GF pretzel from Glutino while I read this!
What is Glutino? I have to say today has been more difficult than I anticipated… Thought that oats would not have gluten and that only wheat products did. Now much change thoughts again.
It’s ash Wednesday today and i’m still thinking about it and Lent… Good question
I honestly haven’t thought about it, but maybe I’d try to give up reading too much. I’m literally reading two to three books a day, my nose glued to a book. Maybe a bit of rest would refresh me!
Have definitely known some people who noticed a difference and others who did not, so only time will tell. You’ll soon know! We are gluten restricted so we do try some GF recipes and foods. Here is one from my husband that is really good …. but like you say, definitely check on the individual ingredients to make sure each one truly is GF. There is a learning curve and you will figure it out but you will only be able to know for sure if you do your best to get it completely out!
“Beefed Up” Green Bean Casserole: http://thesaturdayeveningpot.com/2012/10/beefed-up-green-bean-casserole-gluten.html
I’m giving up winter! I’m so sick of it! I should be able to do that, right?
I hope the experience blesses you!! I have stomach problems and I find that they seem best controlled by a low-processed foods, low-refined sugar diet–which might itself eliminate a lot of gluten but not all. My body seems to like fruit and veggies and meat…and thankfully my tastebuds agree with the rest of the body!
I’m going gluten-free because I’m currently in the middle of IVF and it just happened to coincide with Lent. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be (and I’m a picky eater!). I feel pretty good, and am no longer experiencing the after-lunch slump I thought I was just a normal part of life.
I was gluten free for years and the fell off the wagon. I just hopped back on it again. Personally, it means a major difference in how I feel. Like the difference between feeling like the stay puffed marshmallow woman and not.
For me, giving up gluten was challenging because I love bread. I still do, but bread does not agree with me. It was also difficult because it seems like everything I was mainly eating had gluten in it. Gluten has creeped it’s way into medicine, candy, and a lot of other things you would’t think contains it. I didn’t start avoiding gluten containing foods for Lent, it was a necessary adjustment I made because I was having digestion issues. Once I cut out the gluten I noticed a big difference. The doctors never said I had a gluten allergy but every time I ate something with gluten the results were the same. When I didn’t eat gluten the results were a happy digestive system. Plus, there are many good recipes without gluten so who needs it. Hoping your gluten free journey proves to work well for you. I have two gluten free recipes on my blog. Good post! I found your blog thought the #SITSSharefest
Hi Michele, I’ve been gluten free since 2009. 40 days will be challenging but you can do it! There are so many great products out there now. Gluten Can be hidden in soy sauce, salad dressings, marinades and ice cream! if you need any advice or a list of products, let me know! I also have a great list and tons of product reviews on my site – http://www.glutenfreebostongirl.com I would love to hear what your favorite gluten free find is over the next 40 days! #SITSSharefest
I gave up sugar for lent and feel fantastic! I am also gluten free. I have had stomach issues dating all the way back to elementary school and I am now pushing 40. A few years ago my doctor recommended that I eliminate it for 2 weeks despite some negative test results in earlier years. I followed my doctor’s recommendations and for the first time in almost a decade I went to bed without the use of a heating pad on my stomach. I have slipped up here and there but after my son was born we have stuck to a gluten free lifestyle.
I have a few recipes in my blog and am going to list more soon. Check them out if you have a chance!
Our family has eaten predominately gluten free for years. It’s really not as difficult as people think. This Pinterest board has some great recipes – http://www.pinterest.com/KristinFilut/gluten-free-cooking/
And this is a list of gluten free products I love – http://no3primroseplace.com/2014/02/20/10-gluten-free-staples-home/